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| Steve and the fosters |
Nearly a year ago, the Ark City Animal Control
officer brought four tiny kittens to the shelter. There was no mother to be seen
and the citizens who found them were concerned about their survival. They were
taken in, determined to be about 10 days old, and sent to foster. I happened to
be that foster. My husband, Steve, and I bottle-fed these babies and hand-raised
them until they were old enough to eat on their own. We named them Gryffindor,
Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. The wee kittens grew, were quickly
eating on their own, and using a litter box just like the big kids. Soon it was
time to find their furever homes.
Gryffindor, a sweet orange tabby, was adopted by
Julia and Christopher Webb for their son Donovan. She was renamed Ginny and she
and Donovan soon became best buddies. Julia says, “She has a beautiful trilling
voice when she wants something. She sleeps with Donovan in his bunk at night and
happily greets all visitors.” Ginny does suffer occasional seizures from an
injury she suffered as a young kitten but, luckily, she has a wonderful family
who has gotten her the veterinary care she needs and her seizures are well- controlled with medication.
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| Ginny and her boy, Donovan |
Ravenclaw, a striking cream-colored girl with
gorgeous blue eyes, and Hufflepuff (Caffy), a darling orange tabby with white,
were adopted by Tracie Alcorn. “They are doing wonderfully! They’re so big now
and still growing! They are both quite attached to my youngest daughter”, Tracie
reports. “I really don’t know what we would do without our fur
babies.”
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| Caffy, Ravenclaw, and Tracie's daughter |
Steve and I kept Slytherin, a pretty white kitty
with brown and gray spots, whom we renamed Narcissa. We hadn’t meant to keep one
of the fosters but, after eating, all the kids would find various places to curl
up and take a nap … except for Cissa. She was crafty and would come to Steve or me and want to sleep in our laps. How could we not keep her? She’s a bit of a
trouble-maker and we often joke that we should have kept Hufflepuff. A
Hufflepuff would never be so naughty! But we adore her and wouldn’t trade her
for anything.
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| Narcissa |
The humane society is fortunate to have many
wonderful fosters, but we can always use more! Summer is kitten season and we
have many, many litters of kittens. Please consider fostering for us!
Bottle-feeding very young kittens is time consuming and not everyone is able to
do that. However, we have many kittens that are 5-6 weeks old, eating on their own,
and using a litter box. They cannot be vetted until they are eight weeks old, so
they have to hang out at the shelter for weeks until they are ready to find
their furever homes. Fosters who can take these litters home for just two or
three weeks are invaluable to us and, most importantly, to the kittens!
I have a
litter of four such kittens at my house now. As I write this one is curled up on
my lap sleeping, one is tap-dancing on my desk, and two are frolicking behind
me. Fostering is tons of fun and so rewarding, knowing that you’re helping
these tiny lives. Also, fostered babies tend to become very social helping
increase their chances of a successful adoption. While animals are in foster
care the humane society will be responsible for all their needs – food, bedding,
litter, medical care. All you’re out is a little space, a little time, and you
get lots of love, laughs, and kitten cuddles in return. Contact us at the
shelter or via private message on Facebook if you’d like to become a
foster!
Diana Russell
